The Sea Cadet Corps (SCC), commonly known as Sea Cadets, is a United Kingdom–based national youth charity offering personal development opportunities for young people through nautical adventure and training. Cadets take part in activities including sailing, watersports, engineering and leadership training, developing skills such as teamwork, confidence and resilience. The organisation operates across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as affiliated units overseas.
History In 1854, a vicar in Whitstable, Kent, returned from the Crimean War and founded an orphanage where sailors taught nautical skills to prepare orphans for future careers. Multiple similar orphanages were founded across the country, and the organisation became known as the Naval Lads' Brigade. In 1899 Queen Victoria presented £10 (equivalent to £1,670 in 2026) to the Windsor Unit to purchase uniforms.
In 1910, the Navy League sponsored a small number of units as the Navy League Boys' Naval Brigade, and in 1919 the organisation adopted the name Navy League Sea Cadet Corps. In 1937, Lord Nuffield donated £50,000 (equivalent to £4.42 million in 2026) to fund an expansion of the Corps.
King George VI became the Admiral of the Corps in 1942 and the name was changed to the Sea Cadet Corps. The Sea Cadets had approximately 400 units and 50,000 Cadets. The Girls Naval Training Corps was also formed (later renamed Girls Nautical Training Corps in 1950). Queen Elizabeth II became the Patron of the Sea Cadets in 1952. In 1955 the Sea Cadet Council agreed to the formation of the Marine Cadet Section. The Girls Nautical Training Corps became affiliated with the Sea Cadet Corps in 1963. The Royal Naval Association began planning the first British colonial unit in Bermuda in 1964, with TS Bermuda formed on 12 January 1966. Located at Admiralty House, Bermuda, it was followed by two further units (TS Venture at the former Roman Catholic chapel of the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda and TS Admiral Somers at Convict Bay, St. George's, another former Admiralty property).
On 31 March 1980 the Ministry of Defence approved the admission of girls into the Sea Cadet Corps. The successful integration of girls into the Sea Cadet Corps led to the dissolution of the Girls Nautical Training Corps in 1992.
Ethos The Sea Cadets' ethos is made up of three parts: its values, its mindset, and the customs and traditions of the Royal Navy. The promise made by every cadet who joins the Sea Cadet Corps is as follows:
The Sea Cadet Promise: I promise to serve my God, my King, my country, and, the Sea Cadet Corps and to obey the orders of my superior officers. I will be proud of my uniform and be smart and seamanlike in wearing it, and, always do my duty.
The ethos is underpinned by Sea Cadet values including courage, commitment, respect, loyalty, honesty and integrity. These are taught by staff throughout the time cadets are with a unit; chaplains will also take a lead in such delivery.
Cadets
Junior Sea Cadets For 9 to 12-year-olds, Junior Cadets have their own training programme and uniform, based on a more practical version of the Sea Cadets training programme.
Sea Cadets For 12 to 18-year-olds, young people can join as a Sea Cadet and work their way up through the training programme.
Royal Marines Cadets
For 13 to 18-year-olds, the Sea Cadets has detachments of Royal Marines Cadets.
Structure and organisation
The headquarters of Sea Cadets are in Lambeth, South London. The country is divided into six areas: Eastern (including Malta) Northern (including Northern Ireland and Bermuda) Southern (including the Channel Islands & Falkland Islands) North West (including the Isle of Man) London South West
The Sea Cadet Corps is one of the community cadet forces sponsored and supported by the Ministry of Defence. The charity is governed by the trustees of the Marine Society & Sea Cadets (MSSC), with day-to-day management delegated to its chief executive and senior management team.
In July 2026, the Royal Navy informed MSSC that, subject to further work, it intended to withdraw from the existing Memorandum of Understanding and end the current Grant in Aid arrangement from October 2027. The Royal Navy outlined a possible future model in which it would take a more direct role in the governance and oversight of the Sea Cadet Corps, with MSSC continuing as a charitable partner supporting specialist activities. At the time of the announcement, no future operating or transition model had been agreed.
Volunteers fulfil roles such as water sports instructors, fundraisers, administrative staff, etc. Sea Cadets has both uniformed adult volunteers and non-uniformed adult volunteers.
Training regime
Skills learned in a cadet's time in the Sea Cadets fall into four groups: (i) unit section, (ii) waterborne section, (iii) community and citizenship section, and (iv) outdoor and recreation section.
Ranks and rates
From new entry through to able cadet, Sea Cadets are promoted based on their completion of various task-based modules. The ranks to progress through are: new entry, cadet, cadet 1st class, ordinary cadet, and able cadet. The non-commissioned officer ranks are leading cadet and petty officer cadet.
+Sea Cadet Unit Officers (NCOs)Warrant Officer 1 (SCC) RNRWarrant Officer 2 (SCC) RNRChief Petty Officer (SCC)Petty Officer (SCC)Probationary Petty Officer (SCC)Civilian Instructor (SCC)Rank Slide Royal Marine Unit Officers (NCOs)Warrant Officer 1 (SCC) RMRWarrant Officer 2 (SCC) RMRColour Sergeant (SCC)Sergeant (SCC)Probationary Sergeant (SCC)Civilian Instructor (SCC)Rank SlideNo Rank Slideor
Officers are commissioned under the Cadet Forces Commission.
Sea Cadet Corps officersCaptain (SCC) RNRCommander (SCC) RNRLieutenant Commander (SCC) RNRLieutenant (SCC) RNRSub-Lieutenant (SCC) RNRMidshipman (SCC) RNR Insignia Royal Marine Cadet Corps officersLieutenant Colonel (SCC) RMRMajor (SCC) RMRCaptain (SCC) RMRLieutenant (SCC) RMRSecond Lieutenant (SCC) RMR Insignia
Another rank is Chaplain, they also commission under the Cadet Forces Commission. +RankChaplain (SCC) RNRInsignia
Admiral and captain of the sea cadets
Uniform
Cadets are issued two uniforms. Some units ask for a deposit for uniforms that is returned after the uniform is given back. The primary uniforms that cadets receive are:
No. 1s (Formal Dress) - Seaman's cap, blue class II jumper, blue Class II trousers, shirt uniform class II (white front), seaman's blue collar, black scarf assembly, lanyard, and black boots/shoes
Royal Navy Personal Clothing System (RNPCS) No. 4 Dress (General Duty Rig) – Replacing the No. 8 Action Work Dress, this involves Navy blue beret, blue PCS jacket, black t-shirt, blue belt, blue PCS trousers, black working boots, navy jersey, and an RN foul weather jacket
Ships Current offshore fleet
TS Royalist TS Royalist, the Sea Cadet flagship, is a tall ship owned by the MSSC (Marine Society and Sea Cadets). She is used to providing week-long training courses for Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets. The ship was launched in 2014 to replace the previous TS Royalist, which was over 40 years old when decommissioned. In 2013 there had been an appeal to replace the ageing flagship: £250,000 was needed this target was achieved in April 2013.
She is rigged as a 34m brig, with a sail area of . Her draught is . The ship's hull is of high tensile steel, with her superstructure of glass reinforced plastic. She has a crew of eight, plus up to twenty-four Cadets and two adult trainees. Twelve passengers can also be carried.
TS City of London and TS Sir Stelios TS City of London and TS Sir Stelios are the Sea Cadets' Rustler 42 yachts provided in 2017 and 2018 respectively; they replaced the Tradewind 35 yachts TS Vigilant and TS City Liveryman. They provide nationally-recognised RYA training for those wishing to gain qualifications and experience in yacht sailing.
TS John Jerwood and TS Jack Petchey
These two vessels are the cadets' offshore powered training-ships. They are long and each cost about £2.6m. TS Jack Petchey is so named because the Jack Petchey Foundation donated £1m in order for it to be built. The Jerwood Foundation donated £1,216,700 for the construction of TS John Jerwood. The training ships can hold between 12-16 cadets, four permanent staff, and two CFAVs (cadet force adult volunteers) and provides an experience at sea focussing on deck work, navigation, bridge watchkeeping, cooking/stewarding, and marine engineering. Each vessel is fitted with twin Perkins Sabre Type M215C Turbo Diesel main engines, each providing at 2,500 rpm.
Current Inshore Fleet
Trinity 500 rowing boats The Trinity 500 is a stable fixed-seat rowing boat, purpose-built for the Sea Cadets to deliver the full SCC Rowing Scheme. The boat has also been approved by British Rowing, to allow for the delivery of their Explore Rowing Scheme.
Investigation into sexual abuse In 2012 payouts made to victims of sexual abuse across all Cadet Forces totalled £1,475,844. In 2013 payouts totalled £64,782, and in 2014 payouts totalled £544,213.
In 2017, a Panorama episode entitled "Cadet Abuse Cover-Up" highlighted sexual abuse cases in the British Cadet Forces. In a 1979 case of sexual abuse of a 14-year-old cadet in Hertfordshire, the boy's parents were dissuaded from reporting the offender to police by Sea Cadet officers in full uniform, who had visited their home. The offender was neither dismissed or suspended but instead promoted to oversee 10 cadet units in London. Further historical cases have been investigated with settlements being made. In the years 2012 to 2017 there were 28 allegations of sexual abuse made against SCC volunteers, including historical allegations. All 28 offenders were dismissed and referred to the police.
See also Other elements of the Community Cadet Forces Royal Marines Cadets Army Cadet Force Air Training Corps
Other MoD sponsored cadet forces Combined Cadet Force Volunteer Cadet Corps
Other Sea Cadet organisations Australian Navy Cadets Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps New Zealand Sea Cadet Corps United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps
Related articles Marine Society and Sea Cadets Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation (CVQO) Laurie Brokenshire Girls' Nautical Training Corps National Association of Training Corps for Girls
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